Continuous method for conditioning wire



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United States Patent 50 George W. Bell, Sterling, lll., assignor toNorthwestern Steel & Wire Co., Sterling, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication June 8, 1954, Serial No. 435,186

3 Claims. (Cl. 117-49) The present invention relates to a method andapparatus for making rods in a continuous operation.

More particularly, this invention relates to a method and apparatus forcontinuous manufacture of welding rod stock including an improved methodof lubricating the raw stock immediately following a vigorous abrasionand polishing of the surface thereof to remove all scale therefrom.

Raw metal wire stock as received from the mill is coated with impuritiesand oxide scale. As the scale is extremely hard and brittle, feeding ofcontaminate raw stock through drawing dies not only abrades the dies tocause excessive wear and consequent short life but interferes with thequality of the finished wire as well.

Heretofore, raw wire stock has been subjected to reverse bending and theaction of cascading steel balls which are more or less effective inpeening away scale from the stock, and has then been passed throughpowdered lime and soap, the lime precipitating the soap, so it willadhere to the wire and lubricate the wire for drawing.

While these prior processes are useful, the raw stock is not aseffectively and eiliciently cleaned and lubricated as desirable,particularly when the rate of travel of the wire stock through the priorart reverse bending and ball-mill cleaning apparatus is stepped up tosurpass competitive production.

It is a principal object of this invention, therefore, to provide animproved means of conditioning by cleaning, brightening and lubricatingessentially continuous elongated raw metal stock for drawing.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide a processand an apparatus for continuously descaling, cleaning and lubricatingraw metal stock in preparation for additional drawing of said raw stockinto finished metal articles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a series ofoperations and apparatus essential to maximum rates of continuousproduction of finished wire rod of standard length.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as thedescription of the invention is hereinafter developed in greater detail.

Stated briefly, the invention comprises in combination a rotary chamber,tubular journalled means rotatably supporting said rhamber, means torotate said chamber, tension means to feed metal stock linearly throughand along the center of rotation of said chamber and support meanswithin said chamber and rotated thereby adapted to secure at least onereplaceable abrasive means in positive tangential contact with theperiphery of metal stock fed therethrough. The replaceable abrasivemeans are preferably in the form of metal file blocks, but otherabrasive products including sintered particulate aluminum oxide orsilicon carbide fragments in block form may be selected for this end.

f Additionally, it is preferred to provide a the rotary chamber with'a"pluralit'y'of -cornpai-tment's, the first en 2,913,354 Patented Nov.17, 1959 tered of which is provided with abrasive means as indicated andimmediately adjacent thereto one or more compartments providingcontinuous contact of the freshly abraded metal surfaces withwire-drawing compounds, for example, lime, lime rock, powdered lime, andto then pass the wire through a lime slurry and bake the lime thereto,prior to passing through powdered soap for lubricating the wire prior todrawing. A particular advantage accrues in contacting a freshly abradedbright metal surface immediately upon formation with metal drawingcompounds and then baking the compounds thereon, as there appears to bea greater afiinity of the metal for the lubricants when the metalsurface is. in a pristine state anl has had the lime baked thereon,leading to an increased film of lubricant and consequent advantages indie life, rate of drawing, etc.

Other objects and features of the present invention will be apparent asgreater detail of a preferred embodiment of the invention is describedin conjunction with the attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational schematic view of the apparatus brokenaway at the left end, and v Figure 2 is a continuation of Figure 1 asbroken, .extending further to the left.

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational schematic View of a portion ofthe apparatus of principal interest as seen from the side opposite tothat illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is aa enlarged vertical sectional view along and through theaxis of rotation of the rotary chamber shown in Figure 3 with supportingparts broken away and removed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along the line V-V ofFigure 4. 1

Figure 6 is an enlarged cross sectional: view/taken along the line VIVIof Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a enlarged side elevation of the first entered compartmentof Figure 4 with the outer cylindrical shell removed.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII ofFigure 7.

Referring now specifically to Figures 1 and 20f the drawings andgenerally to the apparatus and method, black iron wire or raw elongatedmetal stock 1 is drawn through the apparatus by driven wheel 45, take-upreels 53 and 61 and drum 65 to pinch rolls 76, 77, through an initialset of straightening rolls 80, pinch rolls 82, and straightening rollsto be fed to a flying shear 86 where the stock is cut to length to fallupon a conveyor .belt 90 of a conveyor 95, where a retarder element 96retards the conditioned rods projected by the shear and aligns the same.The aligned rods are then continuously fed by the conveyor belt 90 to avibrating table 98 where the rods are vibrated into densest packingarrangement andboxed. Considering the inventive combination in greaterdetail, the imperfect or raw metal stock 1 enters the right hand (Fig.'1) side of the machine through fixed guide 2 and is trainedhorizontally about sheave 3 rotatable about a vertical axis and is thenreversed and trained about sheave 5 rotatable about a horizontal axis.The initial bending serves to crack and to remove the worst of theembrittled, more readily removed scale. The partially descaled' rawmetal stock then passes through a hollow trunnion 7 of a main polishingand lubricating chamber 8, shown in Figure 4 as being in theform of acylinder and having opposite end walls 9 and 10. The hollow trunnion 7is shown as being secured'to and extending outwardly from the end wall 9and as forming support therefore, while a hollow trunnion 35 is shown asbeing secured and extending outwardly from the end wall Ill. The endwalls 9 and 10 are; also erturedjn alinement with the hollow interior ofthe hollow trunnion:

7 and to accommodate the wire to pass into the drum 8, through anapertured intermediate plate 12 dividing the main chamber 8 into apolishing chamber 11 and a treating chamber 20.

The stock passes from the treating chamber '20 through the hollowinterior of the trunnion 35 to the tensioning pulley 45. The hollowtrunnions 7 and 35 are rotatably supported on a frame 36 for thedescaling and polishing apparatus in spaced pillow boxes 37 and 38respectively. The chamber or cylinder 8 is shown as being rotatablydriven by a motor 40, supported on a shelf 41 extending inwardly fromthe support legs of the frame 36. The drive to the cylinder 8 from themotor 40 is shown as being a V belt drive of a well known form andindicated generally by reference character 39. -The descaled, polishedand treated wire stock passes from the trunnion 35 around the tensioningpulley 45, driven by the motor 41) through a V belt drive 41, driving a'counter shaft 42, a V-belt drive 43 driving a shaft 44, and a beveledgear drive 46 driven from the shaft 44 and driving a shaft 47 on whichthe tensioning pulley is keyed or otherwise secured.

The tensioning pulley 45 is shown as rotating in a tank 48 containing anaqueous slurry of lime, borax or any other suitable material for coatingthe wire stock and assisting the soap to pick up on the wire stock as alubricant during the wire drawing operations.

The-freshly polished and coated stock leaving the tank 48 passesupwardly over horizontally spaced sheaves 49 and 50 having electricalconductors 49a and 50a respectively electrically connected thereto. Theelectrical conductors 49a and 50:: are diagrammatically shown as beingconnected with a transformer 50b, putting out an dependent in part upona gage of the wire stock, but suflicient to maintain a flow of between15 to 40 amperes in the wire stock as it passes over the sheaves 49 and50 and heat the wire by resistance heating as it passes between saidsheaves. The heating of the wire serves to bake on to the surface of thewire, the lime and other compounds essential to the subsequent drawingoperations.

From the sheave 50, the wire stock having the drawing compound bakedthereon is fed downwardly and under an idler 51 on a support 51a of theframe 36 through a box 52 containing powdered soap or a like lubricant.The wire stock is then trained to and about the driving reel 53 andupwardly from said driving reel over a vertically spaced take up pulley54, and back about a large diameter guide 55 of said first driving reel53 and forwardly to and through a drawing die 60. From the drawing diethe wire passes around a second driving reel 61 and upwardly therefromover a take up pulley 62 and downwardly therefrom around an enlargeddiameter guide 63 of the second driving reel 61 through a second drawingdie 64 to a terminal tension drum or reel 65.

The drawing apparatus just described is of a well known form similar tothat shown and described in the Dillon Patent Number 1,917,219, so neednot herein be shown or described in further detail.

From the terminal tension drum or reel 65, the wire stock passes towardthe entering end of the drawing machine through a trough or pipecontaining a coolant such as water to cool the rapidly traveling wirestock. The wire then passes to and around an idler sheave 71 at theentering end of the wire drawing machine and upwardly therefrom to andaround an idler sheave 72. From thence the wire passes along the machineto and through a guide 75 to and through the pinch rolls 76 and 77. Thepinch rolls 76 and 77 are well known forms of pinch rolls suitablydriven by power, and serve to pull the wire from the tensioning drum 65and maintain tension thereon, and push the wire to the straighteningrolls 80. The wire passes from the straightening rolls 80 through aguide 81 to and through a set of pinch rolls 82, which are also drivenby power, and pull the wire through the straightening rolls 80. Fromthence the wire passes through a guide 83 through lesser radius finalstraightening rolls 85, to the rotary shear 86, where the drawn andstraightened wire'is cut to welding rod length by the shear 86, as ittravels therethrough.

The shear 86 may be of a well known form and is shown generally asincluding two power driven rolls 87 and 88 through which thestraightened wire passes and having registering knives projectingtherefrom for shearing the wire to length as it passes between saidrolls, as is well known to those skilled in the art. As herein shownknives 87a are shown as projecting from the roll 87 and register withcorresponding knives (not shown) projecting from the roll 88.

The flying shear 86 projects the sheared wire along a guide 89 on to thetraveling belt 90 of the conveyor 95, where the finished rods areretarded by retarder 96. The retarder 96 is shown as being in the formof an inclined belt retarder, and may be a heavy belt supported betweenthe side walls of the conveyor and inclined in the direction of travelof the conveyor, and spaced sufliciently close to the conveyor belt tobe engaged by the rapidly traveling rods and restrain forward movementthereof and also drag the rods into parallel relation with one anotherfor discharge on to the reciprocating or shaking table 98.

The reciprocating table 98 may be reciprocably driven in a directiontransverse to the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 90, by meansof a motor 99 and reciprocating drive mechanism indicated generally byreference character 100, driven therefrom. The reciprocating drivemechanism may be of any well known form and is no part of my presentinvention so need not herein be shown or described further. Thereciprocating table 88 serves to progress the rods toward the dischargeend of said table by the reciprocating motion thereof and to dischargethe same into shipping boxesor the like (not shown) in densest packingarrangement.

Referring now in particular to the descaling and coating apparatus andprocess as illustrated in Figures 3 through 8, the wire stock in theform of black wire enters the cylinder or chamber 8 through a guide 2and passes therefrom about the vertical axis sheave 3 changing thedirection of the wire and then reverses its direction about thehorizontal axis sheave 5 and enters the polishing chamber 11 of therotary chamber or cylinder 8 through the hollow trunnion 7 as haspreviously been described.

The reversing of the wire prior to entering the polishing chamber 11spalls off the more brittle scale as the softer stock is reversed indirection about the sheaves 3 and 5.

The compartment 11 of the chamber 8 is shown in Figure 5 as having twoparallel spaced chordal plates 13, 13 connected between the walls 9 and12 and spaced on opposite sides of the center of rotation of saidchamber and the apertured portions in the walls 9 and 12, through whichthe wire passes f or treatment. The chordal plates 13, 13 abut the innercylindrical wall of the chamber 11 at one of their ends, and are open attheir opposite ends to receive a plurality of abrasive bars 15, 15, andherein shown as being four in number and spaced on opposite sides of theline of travel of the wire through the chamber 11, and so arranged as tohave tangential engagement with the wire stock as the chamber 8 isrotating.

The open end of the space between the chordal plates 13, 13 carrying theabrasive bars 15, 15 is shown as being closed by a retainer or door 28slidably guided in gibbed guides 29 extending at right angles to thechordal plates 15, 15 and spaced in advance of the ends thereof.

The abrasive bars 13, 13 may be metal files, sintered abrasivesincluding those of the silicon carbide aluminum oxide class, and areherein shown as being tapered files oppositely arranged to be held inposition by the taper thereof. The abrasive bars or files 15, 15 areshown as being spaced from the walls 9 and 12 by spacer bars or blocks16, 16 having tapered inner faces conforming to the taper of theabrasive bars 15, to hold the same in position when the door or retainer28 is closed.

It should here be understood that while the files are shown as beingoppositely arranged, to have interengagement with each other, that thetapers of the file may be so formed that the files will all cut in thesame direction and effect final scale removal and polishing of the wireprior to treatment in the chamber 20.

The door 28 is shown as having a projection or ledge 30 extendingoutwardly therefrom toward an access opening 17 in the Wall of thechamber 11. The ledge 30 is engaged by a tongue 27 projecting inwardlyfrom an access door 25 for the chamber 8, for locking the door 28 inposition to hold the abrasive bars 15, 15 in place between the chordalplates 13, 13. The access door 25 is shown as being pivotally connectedto a hinge member 18 secured to the wall of the chamber 8 and ex-,

tending outwardly therefrom. A pivot pin 19 is provided to pivotallyconnect the door 25 to the hinge member 18. A locking pin 22 extendingthrough spaced lugs 23 and engaging the outer side of the access door 25is provided to lock the door 25 closed and lock the retainer door 28 inposition, to hold the abrasive bars or files 15, 15 in position betweenthe chordal plates 13, 13, to have tangential engagement with the wireas it passes therethrough.

The treating compartment contains a supply 0 drawing compounds such aspowdered lime, which readily adheres to the abraded smooth-surfaced wireleaving the chamber 11. The compartment 20 is shown as having aplurality of lifter plates 21, 21 extending inwardly from the wall ofthe cylinder in chordal planes, to lift the drying compounds and cascadethem to the center of rotation of the compartment 20 on to the scaledwire, as it passes therethrough.

Access to the compartment 20 to replace the drawing compounds is througha door 26 hinged to a hinge member 26a on a hinge pin 26b. A locking pin26c passing through spaced lugs 26d is provided to lock the door 26closed.

The wire passing from the treating compartment 20 leaves saidcompartment through the hollow trunnion 35, as has previously beendescribed and is trained about the power driven tensioning pulley 45,which pulls the wire through the chamber 8 and immerses the same in alime slurry in the tank 48, from which it is drawn by the drum 53 overthe idler sheaves 49 and 50 where the wire acts as a resistor as itpasses between said sheaves, and the lime is baked thereon by theresistance heat, to assure a more eflicient precipitation of the soap onthe wire, and thus increase the efficiency of the picking up of soap asa lubricant. From the sheave 50, the wire then passes under the sheave51, through the soap box 52, for drawing cutting off and packing, aspreviously described.

The scaling, abrading or polishing and lime treating and bakingoperation thus more efiiciently removes the dross from the wire andplaces the wire in condition for more effective application of the wiredrawing compound thereto, and the baking of the wire by the applicationof heat by the electrical resistance, baking the compounds thereonincreases the affinity of the soap to the wire, enabling the drawingoperation to be greatly speeded up, and thus providing a faster and moreefficient continuous rod making process than has heretofore been known.

As is well understood by those skilled in the metal forming art, variousmodifications and variations of the present invention may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of myinvention, as illustrated and described herein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A continuous method for conditioning wire for subsequent drawingwhich comprises feeding raw wire stock under tension along its axis,abrading the linearly moving raw wire stock by tangentially engagingopposite sides thereof with rigid abrading members rotatably movingabout the traveling wire, and immediately thereafter successivelytreating said freshly abraded metal surface by cascading said freshlyabraded metal surface with powdered lime, passing the powdered limetreated treated wire through a lime slurry, then baking the slurry tothe wire and applying powdered soap thereto.

2. A continuous method for conditioning wire for subsequent drawingwhich comprises feeding raw wire stock under tension along its axis,abrading the linearly moving raw wire stock by tangentially engaging themoving stock with rigid abrading members rotatably moving about thetraveling wire, immediately thereafter successively treating saidfreshly abraded raw wire stock by cascading powdered lime onto thestock, passing the powdered lime treated stock through a lime slurry,and

then energizing the lime coated stock between two points with anelectric current to bake the coating compound thereunto duringcontinuous travel of the wire.

3. A continuous method for conditioning wire for subsequent drawingwhich comprises feeding raw, wire stock under tension along its axis,abrading the linearly mov ing raw wire stock by tangentially engagingopposite sides thereof with rigid abrading members rotatably movingabout the traveling wire, then immediately thereafter successivelytreating said freshly abraded wire stock by cascading powdered limethereunto, passing the powdered lime treated wire stock through a limeslurry, then energizing the coated stock between two spaced apart pointswith an electric current during continuous travel of the wire to bakethe coating compound thereunto and passing the baked stock throughpowdered soap.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS204,393 Trethewey May 28, 1878 229,836 Morgan July 13, 1880 252,816Thompson Jan. 24, 1882 481,444 Vermeulen Aug. 23, 1892 1,030,129Sarsfield June 18, 1912 1,243,837 Heinauer Oct. 23, 1917 1,470,374 BoleyOct. 9, 1923 1,522,265 Peacock Jan. 6, 1925 1,605,326 Bundy Nov. 2, 19262,061,352 Dillon Nov. 17, 1936 2,074,224 Johnson Mar. 16, 1937 2,157,709Kiessling May 9, 1939 2,199,496 Johnson May 7, 1940 2,264,287 BettertonDec. 2, 1941, 2,275,793 Murphy Mar. 10, 1942 2,318,419 Plott et a1. May4, 1943 2,360,097 Balthis Oct. 10, 1944 2,394,381 Hoern Feb. 5, 19462,442,183 Stearns May 25, 1948 2,460,989 Kraner Feb. 8, 1949 2,498,903Wallace Feb. 28, 1950 2,531,553 Canney Nov. 28, 1950 2,546,447 HarrisMar. 27, 1951 2,610,926 Chase Sept. 16, 1952 2,657,457 Toulmin Nov. 3,1953 2,676,564 Gray Apr. 27, 1954 2,703,550 Bell Mar. 8, 1955

1. A CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR CONDITIONING WIRE FOR SUBSEQUENT DRAWINGWHICH COMPRISES FEEDING RAW WIRE STOCK UNDER TENSION ALONG ITS AXIS,ABRADING THE LINEARLY MOVING RAW WIRE STOCK BY TANGENTIALLY ENGAGINGOPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF WITH RIGID ABRADING MEMBERS ROTATABLY MOVINGABOUT THE TRAVELING WIRE, AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER SUCCESSIVELYTREATING SAID FRESHLY ABRADED METAL SURFACE BY CASCADING SAID FRESHLYABRADED METAL SURFACE WITH POWDERED LIME, PASSING THE POWDERED LIMETREATED TREATED WIRE THROUGH A LIME SLURRY, THEN BAKING THE SLURRY TOTHE WIRE AND APPLYING POWDERED SOAP THERETO.